Y-Chromosome Marker Characterization of Epipaleolithic and Neolithic Groups of Southern India

The aim of the study is to investigate the Y-chromosome unique event polymorphisms (UEPs), to know the origin and past demographic history of paternal lineages, genetic relatedness, and admixtures in two tribal populations of Southern India. A total of 106 male samples from two Dravidian speaking tribal populations of Southern India: Urali Kuruman (n = 50) and Melakudiya (n = 56) were analyzed. A set of 30 bi-allelic UEP markers of the non-recombining region of the Y-chromosome was sequenced by the Sanger sequencing method. The phylogenetic analysis of the two populations revealed six Y-chromosome haplogroups: C, F*, H, K*, L*, and R2. The Urali Kuruman Y-chromosome lineage was predominantly of native origin clustering with other Dravidian tribes of the region, whereas the Melakudiya Y-chromosome lineage clustered with the people of Near East, and other Indo-European speakers of India.